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THE CHECK COLLECTOR 



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April - June 2006 The Journal of 

THE AMERICAN SOCIETY OF CHECK COLLECTORS, INC. 


Number 78 




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Number 78 


THE CHECK COLLECTOR 


April-June 2006 


Editor: Robert D. Hohertz 

PO Box 808 

Northfield, MN 55057-0808 

Advertising Manager: All advertising should be chan¬ 
neled through the Treasurer, Dick Naven. Dick’s address 
is on the following page. 

The Check Collector (ISSN 1066-3061) is published quar¬ 
terly by the American Society of Check Collectors, 473 
East Elm, Sycamore, IL 60178-1934. Subscription only by 
membership, dues $13 per year in the US ($17 per year in 
Canada and Mexico, $23 elsewhere). Periodicals postage 
paid at Northfield, MN 55057 and additional mailing offices. 
POSTMASTER: send address changes to: The Check Col- 
lector, 473 East Elm, Sycamore, IL 60178-1934. All rights 
reserved. 

To our members: 

Write something for The Check Collector\ We need articles 
about checks, check-related subjects, and fiscal documents. 

We retype all material. Illustrations require an original or 
a good, clear, black and white copy, preferably as large 
as can be obtained. Original checks sent in are copied and 
returned carefully. Any questions, ask the Editor! 

To our advertisers: 

Deadline for advertising copy to run in the April - June issue 
of The Check Collector is August 15. 

The Check Collector is an effective means of reaching the 
check collecting hobby, and our membership of collectors 
and dealers of checks and related financial documents. It 
contains feature articles about checks and check collecting 
and news about the hobby. 

Advertising orders must be paid in advance and shall be re¬ 
stricted to checks and related fiscal documents, publications, 
accessories, and supplies. The ASCC accepts advertising 
in good faith, reserving the right to edit copy. Copy for ads 
must be camera-ready or the Editor will set it as best he can. 

ASCC assumes no financial responsibility for typographical 
errors in advertising. However, it will reprint that portion 
of an advertisement in which a typographical error appeared 
upon prompt notification of such error. 


Contents 

4 El Meta Bond College - Adams 

5 Find in the Martkeplace - Hohertz 

6 Negotiable Paper - Whitfield 

12 Revenue Stamped Paper Exhibit - Hohertz 

21 Unusual Item from Pennsylvania - Rabin 

22 Letter to the Editor - Pickering 

23 Letter to the Editor - Adams 
25 Announcements 

25 Secretary's Report 

26 Member Exchange 

27 Conversation Piece 


VISIT OUR WEB PAGE 
http://asccinfo.com 



I have always thought this was one of the most fascinating 
vignettes on any draft in my collection. The cover of this 
issue shows it used on drafts with two different imprinted 
revenues, Type D and Type G. The top one is a generic form 
with no printed secondary bank. 

A different version is included as an example in this issue's 
article on some basics of check collecting, courtesy of Steve 
Whitfield. 


All advertisements and payments should be submitted 
to the Treasurer. 





Advertising rates are as follows: 

One quarter page $25.00/issue 

Business card size $ 15.00/issue 

$10 discount for four issues paid at once, 


J 


THE CHECK COLLECTOR is a quarterly publication of the ASCC. 


2 















Number 78 


THE CHECK COLLECTOR April-June 2006 

THE AMERICAN SOCIETY OF CHECK COLLECTORS, INC. 

A non-profit organization organized under Section 501-(c)-(3) 


President: 

Departments: 

Dues: 

Robert D. Hohertz 

Attorney: 

US: $13 per year 

PO Box 808 

Hermann Ivester 

Canada, Mexico: $17 per year 

Northfield, MN 55057-0808 

5 Leslie Circle 

Elsewhere: $23 per year 

rdh@northfieldmail.com 

Little rock, AR 72205-2529 

Security Printers Guide: 

Vice-President: 

Check Pool: 

$5 in looseleaf form - order from 

Michael S. Turrini 

Phillip G. Ryman 

William G. Kanowsky, address above. 

PO Box 4104 

859 Park Circle 


Vallejo, CA 94590 

Harrisonburg, VA 22802 

Electronic form from Lyman Hensley 


ryman859pa@aol. com 

free via e-mail or send diskette and 

Secretary: 


return postage. Address above. 

Lyman Hensley 

Editor, The Check Collector. 


473 East Elm 

Sycamore, IL 60178-1934 

Robert D. Hohertz - see above 


ilrno2 @netzero .com 

Librarian: 

Charles V. Kemp 


Treasurer: 

PO Box 71892 


Dick Naven 

6802 S. W. 33rd PI. 

Madison Hts, MI 48071 


Portland, OR 97219 

Membership Directory: 


ascctreasurer@teleport. com 

Lyman Hensley - see above 

Security Printers: 


Directors: 

William G. Kanowsky 


Lyman Hensley (2008) 

1533 Savannah Dr. 


Robert D. Hohertz (2008) 

M. S. Kazanjian (2008) 

Evansville, IN 47714 


Coleman Leifer (2007) 

Slide Program: 


Dick Naven (2007) 

Larry Adams 


Lee E. Poleske (2008) 

812 1/2 Story St. 


Phillip G. Ryman (2007) 

Robert A. Spence (Emeritus) 
Michael S. Turrini (2007) 

Boone, IA 50036 



Membership Interests 

1. Checks, general 

2. Checks, USA 

3. US Government Checks 

4. Miscellaneous Fiscals: 

Bank Drafts 
Bills of Exchange 
Certificates of Deposit 
Promissory Notes 
Warrants 

Receipts 


5. Checks, Great Britian 

6. Checks, Canada 

7. Checks, World 

8. Travelers Checks & Money Orders 

9. Specimen Checks 

10. Ration Checks 

11. Refund/Rebate Checks 

12. Other 

14. Counter & Modem Checks 

20. Vignettes 


21. Autographs 

22. Railroads, Steamboats, Mining 

23. Banking History 

24. Security Printing & Printers 

25. Check Protectors & Cancel 
Devices 

26. Wells Fargo History 

30. Stock & Bond Certificates 

31. Revenue Stamped Documents 

32. Emergency Scrip 


THE CHECK COLLECTOR is a quarterly publication of the ASCC. 


3 




Number 78 


THE CHECK COLLECTOR 


April-June 2006 


A Question Answered 
The El Meta Bond College 

by Jim Adams 


A couple of years ago at the CPMX shown in Rosemont, Illinois I came across this El Meta Bond College promissory note. 
It appears to be a personal loan by one Meta Chestnutt on an altered College note written in 1904. Since Indian Territory 
checks and other fiscal paper are a collecting interest of mine I bought it and then tried to find out more about it. 



I already owned this Bank of Minco (the town of Minco is believed to be named after the great Chickasaw chief and warrior, 
Iwatumba Minco) check in my collection, which added to my interest in finding out more about the El Meta Bond College note. 



All mysteries were solved when I sent copies of both Minco pieces to fellow ASCC member Richard Chadwick of Davis, 
Oklahoma. Richard is the “expert” on Indian Territory fiscal paper. He kindly sent me a copy of a 1958 Chickasha Daily 
Express article about the extraordinary woman Meta Chestnutt. This is a summary of the article: 

As a young woman living in Raleigh, North Carolina in the late 1800’s, Meta Chestnutt heard lurid tales about the lack of 
educational facilities in Oklahoma Territory and inquired whether there was anything she could do to help. She was invited 
to set up a school at Silver City, “a raw cow town on the Chisholm Trail.” When she went to buy a train ticket to Oklahoma 
City the agent in Raleigh told her there was no such place, so she had to go to Richmond to get one. 

She opened her first school in Silver City at the age of 26. It had seven pupils to begin with, but grew in popularity. When 
Minco was founded as the temporary terminal of the Rock Island Railroad in 1890 she was asked to found a school there, 
which she opened in 1894. One of the prominent benefactors of the school was J.H. “Uncle Jimmy” Bond, so the school 
was christened the El Meta Bond College. 


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Number 78 


THE CHECK COLLECTOR 


April-June 2006 


It had seventy-five pupils, but as its reputation grew the local settlers began to send their children and enrollment grew to 
200. Miss Chestnutt not only taught and arranged to import other qualified instructors from the East, but also cooked and 
did manual work around the college. In 1906 she married a young music teacher, J.A. Sager. 


The school prospered, but when Oklahoma became a state, newer and more modem schools were established and the col¬ 
lege began to decline. It closed in 1920. Mrs. Meta Chestnutt Sager lived until early 1948. 




“ THE COLON 


NEATH A H. SEGER, Manager. 
Special Orders Given Prompt Attention 


“ THE 


to Bank of Minco, j 

(vilNCO, i. T. 


This “Colony Store” unused check is in Richard Chadwick’s personal collection. He considers it a “triple whammy” item 
since it has an appropriate vignette on an Indian Territory check, but was used by a business in Colony, Oklahoma Territory. 

Collecting territorial checks is great fun since it seems that they all have an interesting story to tell about the early develop¬ 
ment of our great country. 


Bibliography: 

http ://freepages .history.rootsweb. com/~minco/fotos/el_meta_bond_college.htm 


A Find in the Marketplace 

Actually, a find in the auction of the first part of Bob Pyne's collection that member David Beach held in May. 





Du/K/lAi til 


QXamim 


The "stamp redeemed" overprint is horizontal, not reading upward as it was supposed to have been applied. There are 
relatively few accounts with checks showing this misapplication. 


THE CHECK COLLECTOR is a quarterly publication of the ASCC. 


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Number 78 


THE CHECK COLLECTOR 


April-June 2006 


Negotiable Paper 

by Steve Whitfield 

The development of commerce gave rise to a need for different forms of negotiable paper. Business functioning required 
credit and the transfer of credit and money by a paper method. The advantage of such a system lies in the fact that title to 
the credit or moneys may be transferred from one person to another simply by indorsement and delivery, or sometimes by 
delivery alone. Bills of Exchange were probably first used around 1350 AD, followed somewhat later by the promissory 
note. Ultimately all the examples of fiscal paper we are now familiar with would be developed; which led, of course, to 
the first “check and draft collectors”. 

This article is intended to help the beginning collector of checks and other fiscal paper to understand some of the things that 
confused this writer for a long time. The first part will address “negotiable paper”: i.e. those items that most check collectors 
seek. Since there are many other fiscal paper collectibles, a future article will attempt to address those items. 

Some useful terms: 

1 .“Inland” and “Foreign” Exchange: If a draft, or bill of exchange, was specified to be cashed or collected in the 
same jurisdiction, i.e. state or country, that it was drawn in, it was considered “Inland Exchange”. If the drawing 
jurisdiction and the paying jurisdiction were different, e.g. a draft was drawn in Illinois to be paid in New 
York, that was considered “Foreign Exchange”. 

2. “Value Received”: A term commonly used in negotiable paper, but not essential. When used in a note it indicates 
that the value owed and to be paid was received from the payee by the drawer, or maker, of the note. 

3. “At Sight”: Means the instrument was to be paid as soon as it was presented for payment. 

4. “Without Recourse”: A term that, if used by an indorser of negotiable paper, allowed him to escape liability if 

the instrument was refused and not paid. 

Promissory Notes: A promissory Note is an acknowledgement of a specific monetary debt (can not be goods or other 
property). It must include a “promise to pay” the debt. If interest before maturity is to be collected, the interest rate must 
be specified in the note. The amount to be paid has to be certain, i.e. without any contingency. 



Figure 1. Promissory note from Lawrence, Kansas dated 1858. Note that interest was charged at 3% per month. 


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Number 78 


THE CHECK COLLECTOR 


April-June 2006 


Due Bills: Due Bills are an acknowledgement (and evidence) of a debt. They always begin with the word “Due”. They 
may be payable in money, goods or personal property. They can be payable at sight, on demand or at a specified date in the 
future. They are one of the simplest forms of negotiable paper. 

Drafts: Drafts are a paper means to transfer funds from one entity; through a third party, to another person or entity; to the 
recipient’s order, or to the bearer. Drafts were to be either payable at sight, payable on a specified date, or specified days 
after sight. Drafts would be presented to the payer as early as possible, for “acceptance”. If the draft was payable at sight, 
no acceptance was necessary. If accepted, the payer would write, or stamp, “accepted”; the date of acceptance, and sign his 
or her name across the face of the draft, usually in red ink. 









Pits nr,; r/tvj 


KOCMYJ; BliOTIIintS, 
JilXKLRS, 

XJJTTkVRK* 




Figure 2. A typical draft. Note the difference between this example and the one on the cover: this one is payable only by 
Kountze Brothers in New York. 



Figure 3. In inland time draft, payable five days after date. Note the "accepted” handstamp. 


If the draft was a “foreign” bill and not accepted, the presenter had to protest the non-acceptance through a Notary Public. 
Each party conditionally liable was then notified that the holder of the draft intended to seek restitution from them. Protests, 
along with the protested draft, or a facsimile of the same, may occasionally be found by collectors and make a nice addi¬ 
tion to a collection. 

When remittances were sent to foreign countries, they were normally prepared and sent by different means, in sets of two or 
three. The first one to get there would be paid, which would cancel the others. In this way, if one was lost, another would 
replace it. See Bills of Exchange. 


THE CHECK COLLECTOR is a quarterly publication of the ASCC. 


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Number 78 


THE CHECK COLLECTOR 


April-June 2006 



Figure 4. A protested ’’foreign” draft or bill of exchange. The handwriting across it reads, ’’Protested for non payment 
Sept 4th 1879, Samuel Bucknell, N.P." 


Checks: A check is a written order on a bank to pay a certain amount of money to a person: to that person’s order, or to the 
bearer. It may or may not be “negotiable”. If it contains the words “to order” or “to bearer”, it is considered as negotiable 
paper. Checks were always drawn on banks and were always payable at sight, therefore no acceptance was required. There 
are several categories, or types, of checks that may be collected. 



Figure 5. Atypical check of the 1860’s. 


Counter checks were made available at banks for the convenience of their customers. These included a blank space where 
the customer could write in any bank upon which he chose to draw funds. They did not include the bank name where they 
were obtained. 

Figure 6 (on following page). A typical counter check that would serve as negotiable paper. 


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Number 78 


THE CHECK COLLECTOR 


April-June 2006 



Certified Checks : In order to guarantee that a check would be paid, funds from an individual account could be set aside, 
or held by the bank. The cashier would then indorse the face of the check as “certified”, or “good when properly indorsed” 
and sign his name to it. In this way anyone who received the check could be certain of the availability of funds. The cashier 
could also certify the check on his own recognizance, thereby making the bank responsible for payment even if the maker 
had insufficient funds in his account when the check was presented for collection. 



Figure 7. A certified check, 1867, where the certification is handwritten. 

Checks with Internal Revenue stamps : At certain periods of our history, such as the Civil War and the Spanish American 
War, the federal government required that tax stamps be affixed or printed on checks, drafts and other commercial paper. 
This is a separate collectible area largely inhabited by stamp collectors. Many of the items acquired by the check collector 
will have these stamps, either affixed or printed directly on the check form. 



Figure 8. A check with a Spanish American War revenue affixed. 


THE CHECK COLLECTOR is a quarterly publication of the ASCC. 


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Number 78 


THE CHECK COLLECTOR 


April-June 2006 



Certificates of Deposit: These are receipts for the deposit of a specific amount of money; normally at interest and for a 
specified period of time. Highly collectible, these were sometimes made to look like bank notes so they could be used as 
such but get around federal provisions against the creation of money. 



Figure 10. A three-month certificate of deposit, interest to be paid at no specified rate. 



Figure 11. A certificate of deposit designed to look like and be used as a bank note. As it was not a bank note it would 
avoid the federal restrictions on creation of money. 


THE CHECK COLLECTOR is a quarterly publication of the ASCC. 


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Number 78 


THE CHECK COLLECTOR 


April-June 2006 


Bills of Exchange: These are the same as drafts. Their commercial use is identical. They are either prepared as Inland Bills 
or Foreign Bills. They will usually be prepared in duplicate or more copies as described under Drafts. 

Proof and specimen checks, drafts, and certificates of deposit were often made to check the progress and quality of the 
Engraving process. They are the creme-de- la-creme of collectible, “negotiable paper”. Some dealers carry these and oc¬ 
casional auctions will have one or two. Check stamp dealers also. 



Figure 12. A specimen draft bearing a sample revenue imprint. 



Figure 13. A proof draft. Note the punches on the signature line. 


Note: Bank Bills and Treasury Notes used to be negotiable paper but are no longer issued as they were all replaced by 
federal reserve notes. 


THE CHECK COLLECTOR is a quarterly publication of the ASCC. 


11 




































Number 78 


THE CHECK COLLECTOR 


April-June 2006 


Revenue Stamped Paper 
of the Spanish American War Tax Era 

By Bob Hohertz 
(Part 4) 

Two-Cent Imprint Usage 
Early Dates 


It is unlikely that imprinted paper could have been ready by July 1 of 1898, given that plates had to be made for 28 printers 
and distributed early enough to have checks printed and delivered by that date. Best information available indicates that 
earliest use may have been around July 14. 



July 19, 1898, very early use of imprint on a check where date is confirmed by bank handstamp. It is number seven, so 
earlier dates may yet be found. Prior earliest reported date was August 2. 



THE CHECK COLLECTOR is a quarterly publication of the ASCC. 


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Number 78 


THE CHECK COLLECTOR 


April-June 2006 


Revenue Stamped Paper 

of the Spanish American War Tax Era 

Two-Cent Imprint Usage 
Personal Checks 

Excerpt from SCHEDULE A. STAMP TAXES: “ Bank check, draft.... or order for the payment of any sum of money, 
drawn upon or issued by any bank, trust company, or any person or persons, companies, or corporations at sight or on 
demand, two cents.” 



A great number of the personal checks of the period were small and simple, such as this unused one from a South Dakota bank. 



A used personal check from Arkansas. Any revenue stamped paper from there is uncommon. 


THE CHECK COLLECTOR is a quarterly publication of the ASCC. 


13 



















Number 78 


THE CHECK COLLECTOR 


April-June 2006 


Revenue Stamped Paper 

of the Spanish American War Tax Era 

Two-Cent Imprint Usage 
Merchants Checks 



OFFICE: 

CHAMBER OF COMMERCE 




y?/// y ■ ///r ru/sr r/ 


lLoatiiigii's Batik, 

St. Louis. 


'/)o//n/'^ 

E.O.STANARD MILLING CO. 


Merchant’s checks were often large and elaborate, looking more like drafts than checks, with the bank name printed in the 
lower left corner rather than across the top. This Saint Louis check was printed in four colors, almost unheard-of at the time. 





DUS. MIXER, Mfr’s and Prop’s, 

Mixer's Cancer & Scrofula Syrup. 




c l)OLLMliS. 


To HASTINGS NATIONAL BANK, 

HASTINCS, MICH. \ -- 


An unusually elaborate merchant’s check from a patent medicine company in Michigan. 


THE CHECK COLLECTOR is a quarterly publication of the ASCC. 


14 



















Number 78 


THE CHECK COLLECTOR 


April-June 2006 


Revenue Stamped Paper 

of the Spanish American War Tax Era 

Two-Cent Imprint Usage 
Merchants Checks 



Some merchant’s checks were straightforward with the bank name in the expected position, as on this one from a “Thirst 
Parlor” in Cripple Creek, Colorado. 



Z 7 ^'///. 


cr~0 

As_ 




Other businesses, such as this mining company in Montana, simply handstamped their names on their checks. 


THE CHECK COLLECTOR is a quarterly publication of the ASCC. 


15 



























Number 78 


THE CHECK COLLECTOR 


April-June 2006 


Revenue Stamped Paper 

of the Spanish American War Tax Era 

Two-Cent Imprint Usages 
Special Purpose Checks 

Though each of these checks had a different, specified purpose, they were payable on sight and taxed two cents per check. 



APR29j 


Check used to redeem bond coupons. Note that payee’s name is printed and only date and amount are variable. 



llarkiTi* Nntimml Ihtuk x* 

*n tx: 

_ . Suull? Amalia, *\Vh. .. 

tu in ll|t'nrimnt 










r/ 


tiulhm? 


tHEOOIKK | bL.».tu^, 




Cashier’s check from the Packers National Bank. 


THE CHECK COLLECTOR is a quarterly publication of the ASCC. 


16 














































Number 78 


THE CHECK COLLECTOR 


April-June 2006 


Revenue Stamped Paper 

of the Spanish American War Tax Era 

Two-Cent Imprint Usages 
Special Purpose Checks 



This sight draft has no bank or location indicated. It was designed to be placed in a collection envelope as a convenient 
means of making a donation to the Missionary Society of the Methodist Episcopal Church. 



Dividend check of the California Street Cable Railroad Company. 


THE CHECK COLLECTOR is a quarterly publication of the ASCC. 


17 
































Number 78 


THE CHECK COLLECTOR 


April-June 2006 


Revenue Stamped Paper 

of the Spanish American War Tax Era 

Two-Cent Imprint Usage 
Paychecks 



THIS CHECK WILL BE PAID BY ANY BANK NAMED ON THE BACK OR BY ANY AGENT OF THE COMPANY IN SUFFICIENT FUNDS- 

Central of Georgia Railway Company c. 

y— Accounting Department - Pay Check. yVo 1735 

^ G * “ J 

OJavann 


f If presented within Ninety Npysfrom date 


O. DECEMBER I, 1899, 


r the TREASURER OF THE CENTRAL OF GEORGIA RAILWAY COMPANY. SAVANNAH. GA. 

£ a.. _ ($ £Ej 


' \f Ulpaylo the order o/ ^ 


EXPRESSED |N WORDS AND FIGURES AT END OF SCHEDULE 

K , ■ - 


-A/ 


7) (i Ih 


. v, ^ //<* 

[n full for services rendered as _ during the Mon^of November, lM. 


ars 


COUNTERSIGN EDI 


V3 j 

H or VALID 

/% / / / / - / if notcoiuilej'su/tied by 

(£y {/L/,<Z/tJ£r r*y MB.NICHOLS. E . A. SI LV A. 

—^^^_ _ \/ q i r m >/ i ki c 


or V. B.JENKINS 



Railroad paycheck with a list of 22 banks on the back, any of which would honor it. Payable within 90 days, but as payable 
on sight or demand, tax rate was still two cents. 



Paycheck for mine work. Specification that it must be presented within five days did not change the tax payable. 


THE CHECK COLLECTOR is a quarterly publication of the ASCC. 


18 
















































Number 78 


THE CHECK COLLECTOR 


April-June 2006 


Revenue Stamped Paper 

of the Spanish American War Tax Era 

Two-Cent Imprint Usage 
Voucher Checks 


Voucher checks were combinations of bills and checks, taxed as checks. 



An unused voucher check from the City Library Association of Springfield. It served as an invoice, check and receipt. 


T? 


THE CHECK COLLECTOR is a quarterly publication of the ASCC. 






























Number 78 


THE CHECK COLLECTOR 


April-June 2006 


Revenue Stamped Paper 

of the Spanish American War Tax Era 

Two-Cent Imprint Usage 
Voucher Checks 


No. / 7J 


THE TAMPA WATER WORKS COMPANY. 


& 


# • 

Add^’ss, • 


• • 
• • 


• • 




^ T 

• • ® ^ 
• # 



This Voucher, when approved and signed I • ® 

FIRST NATIONAL BANK, win # 

in red ink. 


Cheurmau Executive Committee 


I certify that the above account is correct ; that the itei|fi therein 
specified were duly received, and were authorized and contracted for# 
on the best possible tcphsr q 


< * Sec\ 

‘Tampa , Fla., A* 


-r# 


of 

9 s 

/ * 6 


4, 



Dollars . 


• P(%>4° ifo ord*' of S y 

y ss-sss/j, • *•* 

in full of the above , and charge to account of The Tampa Water Works Company, 

To the FIRST NATIONAL BANK, Tampa. Florida . 

^ V ' - Treasurer. 

r> p A n nr H I G . The a b° vc draft must be dated and endorsed by the party in whose favor this Voucher is made out ; or, when signed by another party, the authority 

Is Li t \ D I II I O . hrsiSi for so doing must in all cases accompany it; and this draft must NOT be cut o(T from body of Voucher. 


A used voucher check of the Tampa Water Works. 


This is the fourth installment in a series designed to reprint the editor's gold-medal winning exhibit of Spanish American 
War revenue stamped paper. 


THE CHECK COLLECTOR is a quarterly publication of the ASCC. 


20 


























Number 78 


THE CHECK COLLECTOR 


April-June 2006 


An Unusual Item from Pennsylvania 
Two Decades to Solve the Puzzle 
by Sheldon Rabin 

They say that many checks, especially the handwritten/manuscript ones, can tell a story, often with a human interest angle. 
The item below, drafted in 1798 in Tulpehocken Township, Berks County, Pennsylvania, probably did, too. But, when I 
bought it many years ago in 1985, the dealer wasn’t sure about it; he guessed it was a promissory note based on its structure 
and appearance, however, with its difficult to read handwriting and its equally arcane old German language, he threw his 
hands up in the air and wished me luck in trying to find out just what that story really was. Since I don’t read much German 
(oh, why couldn’t this have been in Spanish, French or even Polish for that matter!), I quickly gave up the effort and put 
it aside for awhile. What I didn’t realize at the time was that it would remain in my “To Be Examined” file for fully two 
decades, the only one of over three hundred manuscript checks and receipts in my collection I simply could not decipher. 



What prompted me to pick up this item again in 2006 was that we were able to trace my wife’s family tree (Zeh/See lineage) 
to Palatine, Germany (near Frankfurt) in the early 1700’s, exactly when the Palatine Germans who settled in Tulpehocken 
began to emigrate to the US. They all settled first in the area around Schoharie, New York before moving on. Some, as most 
of my wife’s Zeh ancestors did, went south, ultimately ending up in Virginia and Maryland. Others went west and settled 
along the Tulpehocken Creek, 15-20 miles west of Reading, PA. The Palatine Germans who moved to Tulpehocken are 
believed to have retained their customs and language far longer than did those who moved to Virginia; that may explain 
the German language on the note. 

When I picked up the note again, therefore, the first task was to get it translated. As before, this was easier said than done. 
I asked several of my colleagues at the U.S. Department of State who have near-native German fluency to give it a try, 
but the colloquial old Southern German expressions used by the drafter over two hundred years ago remained a challenge. 
Finally, I contacted Ms. Nancy Freehafer, who coordinates the Berks County Rootsweb site. She kindly came to the rescue, 
translating the key expressions and also pointing out several Palatine German research sites that might contain information 
on the people mentioned in the note. 

In fact, it turned out that this was not a promissory note at all, but more likely a receipt for services. It now seems that this 
note was drafted by a Mr. Christoph Shmith, who acknowledges receiving the sum of eleven shillings and three pence on 
January 15, 1798 from Mr. Peter Schutz as payment for Shmith’s expenses in the funeral (casket and other burial costs?) of 
Mr. Franz Schutz. The one point in the receipt that still needs clarification is the reference tucked in the middle of the text 
to “one and a half Taler”, a taler being one of a series of silver coins minted in various German states from the 15 th to the 
19 th centuries. Could the funeral costs have been calculated locally in terms of old German coinage, one and a half taler; 
and if so, was this sum the equivalent at that time of the eleven shillings and three pence? 

As for the three Tulpehocken Germans, recent research confirms that both Shmith and Peter Schutz came to the US on board 
the ship “Patience”, which sailed from Rotterdam (with a stopover in England) in July 1750 and registered its complement 
of 124 Palatine immigrants at the courthouse in Philadelphia, PA on August 11,1750. Franz Schutz, perhaps Peter’s brother, 
came over two years later, also registering on the Philadelphia tax rolls before heading west to Tulpehocken. Based on the 
available federal census data for 1790, 1800 and 1810, it seems that Shmith died sometime after 1800, leaving behind two 
daughters and his wife. Not sure what happened to Peter Schutz, but perhaps further research using parish, land or other 
civil records in the Tulpehocken area would be productive. There is always more to do, but after all, isn’t that why check 
collecting is such a rewarding and educational hobby? 


THE CHECK COLLECTOR is a quarterly publication of the ASCC. 


21 








Number 78 


THE CHECK COLLECTOR 


April-June 2006 


Letter to the Editor 


Bob, 

Re our exchange of e-mails enclosed are three five-year interest bearing notes by the Whitney Screw Corp payable to the 
Second National Bank. Each has the appropriate 1917 war tax stamp - rate of 20 per $100. Although no interest rate is 
indicated, I believe the same to be approximately 6%. 



Founded in 1922, the Whitney Screw Company was primarily engaged in the manufacture of wood screws. 


From a large coil, wire was fed automatically ito a machine which cut the wire to its proper length. These blanks were 
next shaved and slotted and transported to the next machine which cut the threads. Final operation was that of cleaning the 
screws by washing in a hot bath of soda water and dried with clean sawdust. 

Metal rulers and small specialty hand tools were also manufactured by the company. Operations ceased five years ago. 




Regards, 


Don Pickering 


THE CHECK COLLECTOR is a quarterly publication of the ASCC. 


22 




































































Number 78 


THE CHECK COLLECTOR 


April-June 2006 


Letter to the Editor 


Dear Mr. Hohertz, 

Thought this recent spelling error find of mine might be of interest to the ASCC membership. I had the lower, correctly 
spelled check in my collection already, so the incorrectly spelled name really jumped out at me. 



What really struck me as odd was that the city name is spelled correctly on the date line. The printer must have been asleep 
on this one. I wonder how many of the misspelled ones got out before someone noticed. Not many, I bet. 



Jfo/iet, . ^lA'WU & 7 .^ 

JOLIET CITY BANK, 

F. Ij. CAGWIN, Banker, 

v ~ 1 ) .< ^ ' 01 $mf ; 

...===rd— —— — — . HHJollau. 

_ . 

>. , ». Urif/. tier's Job Print. Joliet. 




Before moving to Baraboo, Wisconsin we lived in Frankfort, Illinois which is near Joliet. 

Regards, 

Jim Adams 


THE CHECK COLLECTOR is a quarterly publication of the ASCC. 


23 

























































Number 78 


THE CHECK COLLECTOR 


April-June 2006 


Announcements 

Postage. Postage rates for periodicals may be increased significantly again next year if the post office gets the rate schedule 
it is asking for. It may be time for us to put the magazine on the internet for those who are willing to download it or read 
it there and print out for themselves any portions they want to keep in that form. I have some definite ideas on how this 
should be done if we go that route, having tried to read Linn’s Stamp Magazine online for a while before switching back to 
paper. We will explore this further if necessary. 

TCC. Notice that we did not have room for an index in this issue. Thank you to those who responded and sent articles. 

Minnesota Stamp Expo 2006. Normally a stamp show would not be of great interest to check collectors - particularly 
this one, which usually does not have many or any checks for sale. However, for any of you who are collectors of revenue 
stamped paper, this one may be a rare chance to see Ron Lesher's exhibit of Civil War material and my exhibit of Spanish 
American War paper in one place. 

The show will be held from Friday, July 21 through Sunday, July 23 at the Crystal Community Center, 4800 North Douglas 
Drive, Crystal, Minnesota, which is suburban Minneapolis. Show hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. 
Saturday and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday. If anyone plans to attend and would like a personal walk-through of my exhibit, 
please let me know. 


My other acquisition from the auction of part of the Pyne collection is the following American Bank Note Company draft 
from Sedalia, Missouri. It was trimmed, perhaps because the margins were not in the best of shape, but it is quite attractive 
in spite of that. 




THE CHECK COLLECTOR is a quarterly publication of the ASCC. 


24 

































Number 78 


THE CHECK COLLECTOR 


April-June 2006 


Secretary’s Report 

Lyman Hensley 


Reinstated 

1317 John Steinbach 
0632 Tom Sheehan 

Deceased 

387 Tolman, Henry 

New Members 

1804 Curtis Conner 2 (all early checks),20,22,26,31,32 

4965 Corby From Coin World 

Omaha, NE 68104 

1805 Robert M Hawes 1,2 (Florida),3,4 

PO Box 214005 
So Daytona, FL 32121 

1806 Alan J Gaites 1,20,23,24,31 

79 Quail Run 
East Islip, NY 11730 

Address Changes 

Stanwood Bolton 
57 Mott Ln 

Brookhaven, NY 11719 

Michael Sanford 
107 Navaho Trail 
Huntsville, AL 35806 

Alvan Jones 
PO Box 708 

Southborough, MA 01772-0708 

Kevin Thorburn 
217-90 Camelot Lane 
Halifax, NS B3M 4H9 

Resigned 

487 Mark Haley 

Resigned Non-payment of dues 

1791 Quagliana, Fred 
1782 Carnahan, George 
1781 Harris, Bradley 
1780 Beck Stamp Auctions 
1772 Wyder, Edward 

THE CHECK COLLECTOR is a quarterly publication of the ASCC. 


1762 Edwards, Paul 
1757 Gerry, George 
1746 Marrin, George 

continued 


25 




Number 78 


THE CHECK COLLECTOR 


April-June 2006 


Member Exchange 

Four different India Hundi (Bills of Exchange) with revenue imprints for two U.S. checks with two vignettes I 
need, or $10. Neil Sowards, 548 Home Ave., Fort Wayne, IN 46807-1606. 

Wanted: US Government checks and Wisconsin financial documents. James A. Downey, 1534 Pennsylvania 
Street, Sturgeon Bay, WI 54235. E-mail mufelika@itol.com. 

Trade/buy/sell any financial paper from any USA town named Wausau, Wausa, Warsaw or Poland. Terence Kafka, 
885 Spring Rd., Mosinee, WI 54455. 

Collector seeking St. Louis, Missouri checks from the following National Banks: Twelfth Street, Telegraphers, 
Broadway and Washington. Ron Horstman, 5010 Timber Lane, Gerald, MO 63037. 

New member is interested in pre-1950 Wisconsin checks. Will purchase or trade for any needed. Tom Casper, 
3581 S. 75 St., Milwaukee, WI 53220-1137. E-mail tcasper57@hotmail.com. 

Collector needs old Philippine TREASURY checks, 1900-1915, with portrait of Gen. LAWTON or Pres. McKINLEY. 
Top prices paid for nice examples, $100 and up. Send checks or photocopies for my offer. C.M. Nielsen, PO Box 71005, 
Salt Lake City, UT 84171-0005. 

Wanted - Checks and related memorabilia from US branches of Canadian banks (Bank of British Columbia, Bank of 
British North America, Bank of Montreal, Bank of Nova Scotia, Canadian Bank of Commerce, Merchants Bank of Halifax, 
Royal Bank of Canada.) Also pre-1910 Canadian checks. Please contact Stephen Oatway, PO Box 7325, Riverview, NB 
E1B 4T9 Canada. E-mail soatway@nb.sympatico.ca. 

Wanted: MEXICO checks and financial documents with Mexico revenue stamps affixed or imprinted. Bob 
Bergstrom, 1711 Driving Park Road, Wheaton, IL 60187, USA. E-mail: bobanne@sbcblobal.net 


Exchange postings will be taken from ASCC members who are collectors only. Postings of 20 words or less are free; please 
remit $3 each issue for postings of 21 to fifty words. Name and address do not count toward the 20 words. 

Neither the Editor nor the ASCC can be responsible for compliance with any promises made in postings, or in response to 
them. Be very clear as to the value you place on your material when discussing a trade. Fairness and common courtesy 
are to be expected, but common sense must rule. 


Resigned Non-payment of dues, continued 


1741 

Hovey, John 

801 

Johnson, William 

1733 

Sonne, Peter 

763 

Sweeny, P. 

1723 

Summer, Colin 

743 

Heritage Collectors Society 

1713 

Becker, John 

687 

Wisconsin Historical Society 

1614 

Carson, Tom 

662 

Smith, Bruce 

1609 

Bohrer, David 

497 

Angus, Fred 

1572 

Cassidy, Vincent 

189 

Tansky, Robert 

1523 

Flannery, John 

37 

Friedman, Herbert 

1510 

New York Public Library 



1504 

Smith, R. 



1471 

Nunes, Dr John 



1432 

Kaarlela, James 



1418 

Showers, David 



1334 

Bevers, Billy 



1300 

Wells Fargo Bank 



1123 

Carlson, Ken 



949 

Murphy, Judith 




THE CHECK COLLECTOR is a quarterly publication of the ASCC. 


26 








Number 78 


THE CHECK COLLECTOR 


April-June 2006 


'Ruth'A. MM&r Kvuytt, 

Ephemerist 

YESTERDAY'S MEMORIES, NOSTALGIA, 
PASTIMES, INDUSTRY, HOLIDAYS, 
CAPTURED AND RECORDED IN 
HISTORY. 

Historic, Charming, Lovely Items awaiting 
your perusal and delight 

1248 Ash Street 
Lynden, WA 98264 

Phone: (360)-318-8193 E-Mail: nithie@nas.com 
Latest list of Americana $1.00 


American Puzzle Carp*. 

\Vkpyru;lit rBSo. 



TlIK IXIKIBT.R 1<« KEV. 


FREE LIST 

of CHECKS SIGNED BY CELEBRITIES 
We also buy checks 

Myron Ross 

HEROES & LEGENDS 

18034 Ventura Blvd. #204 
Encino, CA 91316 


To learn more about the paper money of the U.S. and the world, 
join the 

SOCIETY OF 

PAPER MONEY COLLECTORS 

Six annual issues of PAPER MONEY, the journal of the SPMC 
Annual and regional meetings 


■ t jn*r/. !jv a - ^- 

Annual dues: U.S. Residents.$30 

Canada & Mexico.$35 

Other Countries., M $40 


Conatct: SPMC Membership Director, PO Box 117060, 
Carrollton, TX 75011 


A Conversation Piece 


A postcard advertising a check punch. Unfortunately, the postmark only shows a strangely misaligned T8’ which could 
indicate 18 or 1918. 



National Safety Check Punch. 


Price Reduced from $50 to $25. 

THIS HAS NEVER BEEN SUCCESSFULLY ALTERED. 

For cutting into Checks, Drafts Bonds, 
Insurance Policies, Ac., the amounts for 
which they are drawn affording positive pro¬ 
tection This Punch cuts the figures entirely 
from the paper: 


* 25 * 


thus 

destroys the fibre completely and renders 
filling up an impossibility. Heretofore the 
figures were soldered to the plungers, but 
now they are of solid steel. In order to 
make a positively unalterable Check, or 
Draft, it is necessary to remove the figures 
ei.tirelv from the paper. I claim that the 
NATIONAL SAFETY CHECK PUNCH, 
is the only positive protection. No Ink, 
Tinted Paper, or Perforation is positive se¬ 
curity against alteration in the hands of the 
Forger. It is handsomely made, and with 
ordinarvuse will last a life-time. 


A. W. LAW, Manufacturer, 

8 WARREN ST., New York. 


WRITE THE ADLESS ON THIS SI DE-TH E M ESSACE 



THE CHECK COLLECTOR is a quarterly publication of the ASCC. 


27 





















Number 78 


THE CHECK COLLECTOR 


April-June 2006 


UNITED STATES 
REVENUE STAMPED PAPER 

RN-A8 to RN-X4a 

and a good selection of RM documents 

We're Fiscally Responsible 
as Both Buyers and Sellers 

We Handle 

• All Scott-listed U.S. Revenues 

• Other U.S. Back-Of-The-Book 

• Canadian Revenues 

How do we sell? 

• Through net price lists published 

six times a year and offering thousands 
of individual items 

• By approval 

How can we help you? 


jj* ■ nlki i ■ "P U* ■ ill k a a ■ m ■ ■ 0 ■ ■ ■ ■ i 

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Murphy 

We Buy & Sell 

Paper Money, checks, bonds, 
stocks, letters, old postcards, 
stereoviews, cdv's.... 

If it's old and it's paper, we have it! 

Box 24056 

Winston-Salem, NC 27114 
336-699-3551 


fax: 336-699-2359 


RICHARD FRIEDBERG STAMPS 

310 CHESTNUT STREET, SUITE 106, MEADVILLE, PA 16335 
PHONE 814-724-5824 FAX 814-337-8940 
EMAIL FRIEDBERG2@EARTHLINK NET 


Stocks & Bonds 
Checks & Drafts, etc. 
Revenue Stamps & Imprints 
Bank Notes & Depression Scrip 
Archival Mylar Sleeves & Albums 
Books on Banks & Banking 
Paper Money Reference Books 



All these and more now available at 

vcww.oregon-pioneer.com 

Email: opmel984@qwestoffice.net 


e-mail: candj@murphyenterprises.com 
www.murphyenterprises.com 


Announcing: 

An extensive stock of Revenue Stamped Paper 
is now available. Purchase online at our 
website or send for our FREE price list today! 


The Boston National Bank. 

k ii iiiiinMii 


«T*VVA*.... 

find National tlkmk HcmuT 

7 ., //. 't. . . <■ f .. 

"- z -'-*--- //, m,. 


3 GLBNCttU 

Mkhoiusts Ration ah. Bank, 

Pat to _ , OBOBDKB, 

Douabs. 


U 

-, J 

‘ i 

fl NO. 




When it comes to finding the difficult material you need (like wonderful 
early checks) always turn to us first - especially now that we feature 
revenue stamped paper on our website. And Don’t Miss The Bi-Monthly 
Auctions At Our Site! 


Eric Jackson 

P.O. Box 728 • Leesport PA 19533-0728 
(610) 9266-6200 • Fax: (610) 926-0120 


Oregon Paper Money Exchange 

PO Box 80830, Portland, OR 97280 
503-245-3659 Fax: 503-244-2977 


Email: eric@revenuer.com 

www.ericjackson.com 


THE CHECK COLLECTOR is a quarterly publication of the ASCC. 


28 







































THE AMERICAN SOCIETY OF CHECK COLLECTORS 


MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION 

The undersigned hereby applies for membership in the American Society of Check Collectors, Inc., and agrees to 
comply with its Charter and By-Laws. 

Enclosed with this application is $15 for dues ($20 for US mailing of The Check Collector by First Class Mail, $25 
for Canada and Mexico, $25 for other foreign countries) Please make remittance in U.S. funds only payable to: The 
American Society of Check Collectors, Inc. 

Name:__ 

Address:__ 

City:_ State:_ Zip:_ Country:_ 

E-mail address:_ 


New Application_ Reinstatement_ 

Collector_ Collector/Dealer_ Dealer _ 

Signed:_ Date:_ 

I found out about the ASCC through:___ 

Please complete this form, enclose remittance for membership and mail to the Secretary: 

Lyman Hensley , 473 East Elm, Sycamore , IL 60178, USA 

Please circle the numbers that indicate your areas of collecting interest. This information will be listed with your 
name on our membership roster. 


1. Checks, General 

8. Travelers Checks and Money Orders 

2. Checks, US 

9. Specimen Checks 

Region or States of Interest: 

10. Ration Checks 

_ 11. Refund/Rebate Checks 

3. US Government Checks 

12. Other 

4. Miscellaneous Fiscals 

14. Counter and Modem Checks 

Bank Drafts 

20. Vignettes 

Bills of Exchange 

21. Autographs 

Certificates of Deposit 

22. Railroads, Steamboats, Mining 

Promissory Notes 

23. Banking History 

Receipts 

24. Security Printers and Printing 

Warrants 

25. Check Protectors and Cancel Device 

5. Checks, Great Britian 

26. Wells Fargo History 

6. Checks, Canada 

30. Stocks and Bonds 

7. Checks, World 

31. Revenue Stamped Documents 

Region or Countries of Interest 

32. Emergency Scrip 


ASCC Membership Application - Jan 2008